Chinese detergent company apologises for 'racist' advert showing black man being 'washed'

The firm expresses regret, but blames foreign media for 'over-amplication' of the controversy surrounding the advertisement

A spokesperson said the company had "never thought about" racism during production (AP)

A Chinese washing powder company, which released an advert showing a black man being "washed" by its product before transforming into a light-skinned Asian man, has apologised for any offence caused.

Shanghai Leishang Cosmetics Ltd. has taken responsibility for the controversy, but has shifted some of the blame onto the media for ‘over-amplifying’ the advert.

“We express regret that the ad should have caused a controversy, but we will not shun responsibility for controversial content,” the company said in a statement, issued late on Saturday.

“We express our apology for harm caused to the African people because of the spread of the ad and the over-amplification by the media,” the statement read. “We sincerely hope the public and the media will not over-read it.”

The advert in question shows a black man covered in paint flirting with an Asian woman. She feigns interest, before shoving a laundry detergent tab into his mouth and forcefully shutting him in the washing machine. The man emerges as a light-skinned Asian man, to the woman’s delight.

A representative of the company named as Mr Wang told The Global Times on Friday that foreign media was being “too sensitive” about the commercial and said the company “had never thought about the issue of racism” during production.

Mr Wang also said that a full version of the advert was not actually aired, and instead a five-second version was used which did not feature the black character.